Banana Cake w Cream Cheese Frosting

So I have always had a bit of a banana phobia.. I do not like bananas at all, the smell makes me gag as well as the consistancy.  It has always been a running joke in my family to chase me with peels or leave them in inconspicuous places so I am left with the smell.  About a year ago a friend of mine got me into baking, she is a baking goddess and generously allowed me to be her sort of apprentice.  She raved about this banana cake we were going to make one night.  I had my reservations, but went along and even did the "mashing".  Honestly, it was hard for me, and no one in my family believed me that I actually touched the bananas! Wow way to face your fears thru baking! ha.  Anyways this cake is seriously to die for.  This past September for my mom's birthday the only thing she wanted from me was one of these cakes.  I also made one last Christmas for my family and it literally lasted 2 hours, and its huge! It really is perfect for birthdays or just any special occassion.  I am thinking about doing one for Christmas again this year! Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:
 1 cup unsalted butter
3 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
4 cups flour
2 tspns baking powder
2 tspns baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 cups of mashed bananas

FROSTING:
8 oz cream cheese
6 tblspns sweet butter
1 tblspn vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar
juice of 1/2 lemon

Preheat oven to 350
Cream together butter, sugar, vanilla and eggs until fluffy
Sift dry ingredients into seperate bowl
add alternately dry ingredients and buttermilk into egg mixture
blend in bananas
pour into greased pan- either 9x13 or I used a round bundt pan (which takes more baking time I just add 5 min and keep checking back)
Bake 40-45 minutes

Anyone who makes this will be absolutely blown away!

ENJOY!